Improved metallic ponton wagon-boats



' meet the current of water.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH FRANCIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVED METALLIC PONTON WAGON-BOATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 4 I .288, dated January 19, 1864.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSEPH FRANCIS, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in pontons for military and other purposes, which I denominate the Sectional Metal Ponto n; and I do, by the following description, declare and as(e:t: in my said invention, referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan ofthe interior of the ponton. Fig. 3 is a plan of the bottom thereof; Fig. 4, a crosssection.

The purpose of my invention is to construct a ponton that can readily be transported,

easily handled, and readily applied to the formation of a bridge at all times without the dangers of damage from the causes that effect the ordinary pontons heretofore used. Its novelties are its formation in sections and its details of construction.

The construction is substantially as follows: I form a body or float of iron or other suitable metal, the dimensions of which for useful results may be as follows, although it is obvious other dimensions may be substituted therefor: for the length of a section, thirteen feet six inches; width, four feet two two inches; depth, two feet three inches. The

plan of this section (lettered a in the drawings) is rectangular. One end of it is perpendicular in its elevation, as at a. The opposite end is curved upward from the bottom, as clearly seen at M, Fig.1 of the drawings, so as to easily The section is formed of one thickness of sheet' metal, and afterward strengthened by a bar of angle-iron of about one-fourth of an inch in thickness, affixed to the lower edges on the outside and projecting under the bottom about two inches and up the side the same distance, to serve as a protection and, give strength to the flat bottom of the section when being drawn over the ground, as will be frequently required. I also affix a similar bar of angle-iron around the top edge of the section, to which it gives stiffness and strength, furnishes a place to attach rowlocks, and the rope or cable look. In addition to these supports, I place at short intervals on the inside V-shaped stays, (the crosssection of which is shown at Fig. 4, 1/,

or they may, if preferred, be of angle-iron). These stays to extend from the top angle-iron above named on one side down across the bottom and up to the opposite top angleiron, it being securely affixed to both. f

On each side of each section a, at the square end a thereof, I place a rope-cylinder made of wood and extending along parallel with the side, as seen at c,Figs. 2 and 4. This cylinder is suspended on journals at its ends in proper bearings about a foot below the gunwale of the section. On the periphery of these cylinders I affix projecting hooks, as seen in the drawing, Fig. 2, and about twenty inches apart, the whole length of the cylinder being about seven feet, and its diameter four inches.

The ropes which secure the balks or beams of the bridge are fastened to the hooks, and, passing over the balks or beams, are tightened securely by turning the cylinder with a proper winch or hand-bar, with a uniform strain upon the ropes. By this device I facilitate the laying of a bridge and obviate the delay and danger of tying the ropes each separately, which, if not secured, would jeopardize the safety of the bridge and the troops passing over it, and greatly facilitate its removal.

At the curved or how end of the section I place a stout transverse bar, I), which I call the cleat-anchor bar, there being affixed thereto a-stout cleat, b. On this bar the anchor rests when out of water, and by it the cable is held when the anchor is down. On the sides of the section I fasten four stout rings, rtwo on each side-by which it is fastened onto the running-gear for transportation on land. I also add another stout ring, 1", at the center of the bow end, by which to draw it over the ground, like a sled, when the running gear is stalled in the mud, or otherwise disabled. I attach to the bottom, along its center outside, and extending up at its bow to the top, a double angle iron keel, In, by which I impart additional strength to those parts and steady the body in the water and protect it. The section thus constructed forms a half-ponton. Two of them which make an entire ponton, are attached together at the perpendicular or square ends a by the following fixtures Near the square end of each section, on each side, are stout staples,twoin num her-one at the top and one at the bottomas at s s, Fig. 1. A stout wrought-metal bar, (seen separately at s, Fig. 4,) having a downward projection at right angles with it at each end, extends across from thestaple on one section to that on the other, the projections just named thereon entering the staples s s, and thus securely uniting the two sections into one ponton. As an additional security, I put a jog-clamp in the center at the top on the united ends. By the union of two half-pontons of the above'named dimensions a complete pontoon twenty-seven feet long is formed, the capacity or displacement of which is fourteen thousand three hundred and forty-five pounds, after deducting thereform the weight of the ponton, which is suflicient to sustain the bridge under the weight of heavy artillery, baggagewagons, or troops.

To fully illustrate the objects and advantages of this ponton over those now in use, that by their cumbersome weight and ditficulty of transportation have caused much loss of time and disaster to our army, they may well be compared therewith. The heavy wooden-scow pouton now used by our ar mics is thirty-one and a half feet long and weighs two thousand seven hundred and fifty pounds. The weight of my ponton complete is nine hundred and fifty-four pounds, each half-section weighing but four hundred and seventy-seven pounds. This can be transported on land by very light running-gear, and will be readily moved through a forest, and turn short, &c., where the long wooden ponton could not be carried. If the running-gear becomes disabled or stuck in the mud, the iron section can be removed and carried easily by four men, or drawn over the ground like a sledge without injury. These sections are always available and can be always advanced with an army, needing very rarely any repairs, while the clumsy, wooden seowponton is, as all military men know, always needing repairssuch as ealhing, planking, &c.--liableto shrinkage, to be wormeaten, &c., all of which objections are obviated by my newly-invented pontoon, that is not i1 jured by heat, water, or worms.

I propose, when found advantageous, to place in the ends of my pontons or sections air-chambers like those used by me in my well-known life-boat. I also propose in some cases to make the ponton entire instead of in sections, although I deem the sectional ponton preferable.

Having thus fully described my new metal sectional ponton, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters'Patent, is-

Combining and arranging poutons formed of two parts substantially as described, with the staples and bars 8, and Windlass apparatus or its equivalent for holding the balks by which the pontons are united and fOIlIN (1 into a bridge, by which combination I form a light and portable ponton-bridge, easily laid down and taken up with a small body of men, and which can be transported with safety and rapidity, as herein fully made known.

JOSEPH FRANCIS.

Witnesses:

A. H. HOOK, T. Nnvrs. 

